Bale tie buckle



F. B. TODD BALE TIE BUCKLE Filed Jan. lO, 1934 FranC/QSVBjI/f'on TQdd Y www lill Patented Dec. 25, 1934 UNITED STATES BALE TIE BUCKLE Francis Byron Todd, Attalla, Ala., assigner to Toy Todd, Attalla, Alabama Application January 10, 1934, Serial No. 706,134

5 Claims.

My invention relates to a bale tie buckle formed of bent Wire having side members, one terminating in a hook disposed in a plane normal to the plane of the buckle and the other terminating in a tongue bent transversely across the buckle and adapted to be drawn by the pull on the bale tie into the bight of the hook when in use.

My invention concerns itself particularly with the shape of the hook and of the tongue whereby they are adapted in service to provide an interlock which will resist the tendency of the buckle to spread and of the tongue to back out of engagement with the hook when under heavy strain.

One object of my invention is to obtain this interlock without so deforming the tongue as to interfere with the ready application over it of the bale tie loop while the bale is in the compress. It is important, therefore, that the tongue be kept substantially straight and that in initial position it should stand clear of the hook and buckle so that the tie loop can be readily slipped over it.

More particularly, the object of my invention is to design the hook so as to produce a definite tongue or seat substantially at the base of the side leg carrying the hook so that the leverage is practically eliminated on the hook and the full stress on the tongue is taken at the base of the hook bearing side of the buckle, practically in line with said side, so that the hook will hold up to the full shearing strength of the buckle stock.

A further feature lies in the formation of a notch in the tongue which will fit about the hook and so interlock therewith when in service that the tongue is held firmly against backing out of engagement with the hook.

My invention further comprises the novel details of construction and arrangements of parts which, in their preferred embodiment only, are illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:-

Fig. 1 is a plan View of my improved bale tie buckle;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the buckle showing the position of its parts when in service;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line IV-IV of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmental side view of the bale tie and buckle in operative position on a bale.

Similar reference numerals refer to similar parts throughout the drawing.

In the embodiment of my invention illustrated, I show a bale tie buckle formed preferably of heavy wire bent to form the closed end 5 and the side arms 6 and 7. The arm 7 is bent to form a tongue 8 that projectsv across arm 6 at a slight angle to the plane of the buckle and to its closed end 5. Where the tongue passes over arm 6 it is notched at 9 to form a transverse groove or seat that is adapted to interlock with the hook element on the arm 6.

The arm 6 at its lower end is bent sharply to form a hook 10 lying in a plane through the arm 6 vertical to the plane of the buckle. The tool utilized to form this hook is preferably adapted to form a definite indentation orl seat 11 in the bight of the hook beyond which seat the hook end extends substantially straight. This brings the indentation close to the base of the arm 6 so that the strain received in the bight of the hook will apply very little leverage and the hook will have a holding strength practically equal to the shearing strength of the wire stock which will be somewhat enlarged, due to the bend, where the tongue interlocks with it.

Preferably the notch 9 in the tongue 8 is on the side toward the arm 6 and is so placed that when the tongue is drawn down into the hook by stress on the bale tie its notch 9 will seat itself and have a complemental fit in the seat 11 in the hook, and the side edges of the notch 9 will straddle the base of the arm 6 and interlock therewith so that the tongue while so held cannot back out of the hook, This also brings the plane of pull on the tongue almost in line with that on the arm 6 of the buckle and great buckle strength is thus provided.

About the maximum pull that the best wire compress buckles will now stand is around 2500 lbs., but a buckle designed in accordance with my invention has stood a pull of 3100 lbs. before breaking down, showing that there is no point of weakness either in the hook or in the notch-ed portion of the tongue and that there is positive means to prevent any give in the buckle which would otherwise occur if a straight tongue were used and no interlock provided.

It will be noted that the interlock is provided without increase of metal stock used to form the buckle and without deformation of the tongue by bending it from a straight line. I thus provide buckles which enable the operator to loop the free ends of the bale ties and apply them easily over the tongues 3 which will offer no resistance to this free end of th'e ties being then pulled to tighten the ties about the bale before the press is released and the load comes on the buckles.

In Fig. 5 I have shown a tie 12 having one end 13 looped about the buckle end 5, its other free end 14 being shown bent to form the loop that is slipped over the tongue 8 before the bale is released.

It will be understood that my invention contemplates placing the notch on the tongue wherever it will interlock with any part of the hook bearing side of the buckle.

While I have shown my invention in but one form, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that it isr not so limited, but is susceptible of various changes and modications, without departing from the spirit thereof, and I desire, therefore, that only such limitations shall be placed thereupon as are imposed by the prior art or as are specifically set forth in the appended claims.

What l claim ist- 1. A bale tie buckle formed of bent wire having a closed end, and two side arms, one arm being bent to provide a substantially straight transversely disposed tongue and the other arm being bent to provide a hook adapted to receive said tongue when drawn to its operating position, there being a notch in that part of the tongue which in use engages in the bight of the hook, which notch is adapted to interlock the tongue with the bight of the hook to prevent it backing out of engagement therewith under stress, substantially as described.

2. A bale tie buckle according to claim 1, 'm which the hook is bent up normal to the plane of the buckle and shaped to form a seat adapted to hold the tongue substantially at the base of the hook bearing arm of the buckle.

3. A bale tie buckle according to claim 1, in which the tongue has its notch facing towards the hook bearing arm of the buckle.

4. A bale tie buckle formed of bent wire having one side arm with its free end bent up sharply in a plane normal to the plane of the.- buckle to form a. hook with a pronounced indentation adjacent to the base of said arm, and its other side arm with its free end bent to form a straight tongue lying crosswise of the buckle and provided with an indentation disposed to engage in said 4pronounced indentation in the hook and interlock the tongue therewith when the buckle is in service.

5. A bale tie buckle formed of bent wire having a closed end, one side arm with its free end bent up sharply at an acute angle in a plane normal to the plane of the buckle to form a hook with a pronounced indentation adjacent to the base of said arm which is adapted to snugly receive the buckle tongue, and another side arm with its free end bent to form a straight tongue which crosses over the hook bearing arm of the buckle and has a notch opposite said indentation and adapted to interlock with the side thereof that joins the hook bearing arm of the buckle.

FRANCIS BYRON TODD. 

